Southern Oregon Business Journal - May 2021 Edition by Southern Oregon Business Journal

Proudly Serving Benton, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln & Linn Counties and Crook, Lake, Harney and Malheur Counties as well. Since 2015

May 2021 MEET UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S NEW PRESIDENT, DR. RACHEL POKRANDT - PAGE 5

SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY ESPORTS MATTER - PAGE 44

HUNTER COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND PLANS TO GROW WORKFORCE BY 30% IN 2021 - PAGE 31

Conservation & Business Growth

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SouthernOregonBusiness.com

The Journal for Business in Southern Oregon

The Southern Oregon Business Journal extends sincere thanks to the following companies for sponsoring the journal. Without their support we could not produce a FREE resource for Southern Oregon businesses.

A Few Words from Jim Conservation & Business Growth The two ideas seem as divided as our political parties, but in fact I’m seeing and doing both. All of my businesses are growing at incredible rates and at the same time we made it a priority to reduce our carbon footprint and help keep Oregon wild and wonderful. I think it’s possible to do both. We need to stop thinking that one excludes the other, on every issue we face from workforce housing to the environment and homelessness and human rights.

PEOPLE

We don’t need to pick a side. We don’t need to join a party. We need to be good humans and stewards of our planet and at the same time we need to grow our businesses and keep the economy growing. Inside this issue you will nd 2 stories of 2 companies that are doing both. One uses the land to bury people without chemicals and one provides natural gas to the Paci c Northwest and has made it a priority to reduce gas emission by 100%. Last month I focused on the rebuilding efforts after the re and workforce housing and it exploded online. The issue and articles became the most shared, most talked about and most read in the history of the journal and you know what, I wish I could turn it off. We became hostile, petty and misinformation spreaders. People would comment their beliefs and not the truth. I nally stopped reading the comments and gave up. It was sad to watch how you readers spoke to each other. I don’t care who you are, what political party you are in or what you believe, we all need to treat each other with respect.

UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF EDUCATION SELECTS DR. RACHEL POKRANDT AS THE COLLEGE'S 12TH PRESIDENT. - PAGE 5

Even my “open minded” friends grumble out-loud in person to me based on the company I am writing about and not what I am writing about at times. The Journal is not a political piece. It’s about trying to do good business in Southern Oregon. It’s about caring who you bank with and who you shop with. It’s about inspiration and perspiration. Speaking of Avista, they launched SizeUpSouthernOregon (page 42) and I think it’s a cool tool for economic development. It shows us small business owners how we compare to our peers and who we can do business with in our own communities.

COVID-19 VACCINATION TRENDS - PAGE 24

It’s May. Go outside. Enjoy Oregon. And please stop posting your COVID enraged comments online for one day. You will feel better. I promise. I’m thinking about making next months issue all about Crypto Currencies. I can’t wait to read what you have to say about that. ;)

Founder Greg Henderson ghenderson703@gmail.com Greg started the Southern Oregon Business Journal in 2015 and retired in 2020.

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Jim Jim@SouthernOregonBusiness.com

COVER PHOTO : WALDO LAKE, OREGON BY MICHELE MITZEL

5350 HWY 66, Ashland, Oregon 97520

www.SouthernOregonBusiness.com A JOURNAL FOR THE ECONOMICALLY CURIOUS, PROFESSIONALLY INSPIRED AND ACUTELY MOTIVATED

May 2021 - Table of Contents PEOPLE'S BANK REPORTS FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS - PAGE 26

HUNTER COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND PLANS TO GROW WORKFORCE BY 30% IN 2021 PAGE 31

SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY - ESPORTS MATTER - PAGE 44

LOGOS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS GROWING! - PAGE 32

EMPLOYMENT

CONSERVATION

WHY OREGON’S LABOR MARKET IS TIGHTER THAN YOU THINK - PAGE 6 TECHNOLOGY REDUCES EMPLOYMENT IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY - PAGE 14 OREGON’S CHILD CARE INDUSTRY - PAGE 18 OREGON’S 2020 NATURAL POPULATION INCREASE WAS THE LOWEST ON RECORD - PAGE 22 INTERVIEW WITH SUZANNE WILLOW, CO-OWNER OF THE FOREST CONSERVATION BURIAL GROUND - PAGE 10

ZILLOW HOME VALUE INDEX MEDFORD VS BEND - PAGE 39 AVISTA LAUNCHES SIZEUPSOUTHERNOREGON PAGE 42

OREGON WINE EXPERIENCE® ANNOUNCES 2021 EVENT PLANS - PAGE 34

THE EXTREMES - PAGE 30

LAUNCHING MANAGED HOME NET - PAGE 36

AVISTA DECLARES NATURAL GAS EMISSION REDUCTION GOAL - PAGE 40

PEOPLE

UCC Board of Education selects Dr. Rachel Pokrandt as the College's 12th president

By Press Release Tiffany Coleman - UCC Public Information Of cer

he Umpqua Community College (UCC)

Dr. Pokrandt was selected following a months-

Dr. Pokrandt is currently a vice president and

Board of Education is pleased to

long process that included several virtual

campus dean for Colorado Mountain College.

announce a new president has been

interviews and a day-long, on-campus visit.

Prior to her start there in 2012, she was the

selected. Following a comprehensive,

During her visit to the UCC campus on

dean of instruction at Front Range Community

nationwide search, Dr. Rachel Pokrandt will be

Wednesday, April 7, Dr. Pokrandt had the

College in Fort Collins, CO. With a background

joining the College as its 12th president.

opportunity to introduce herself to UCC

in business, she has also served as an adjunct

“We are thankful and thrilled that Dr. Pokrandt

employees and the community via virtual town

instructor since 2003. Dr. Pokrandt received her

has agreed to serve our students, college, and

hall meetings. During those meetings, she

doctorate degree in management from the

community,” UCC Board of Education Chair

explained that the presidential pro le

Swiss Management University in Zurich,

Steve Loosley said. “She brings a student-

announcing the position opening is what

Switzerland.

centered approach to decision making and has

captured her attention.

a proven record building partnerships with K-12

Current UCC President Debra Thatcher is

and businesses. The Board is con dent she will

“I saw a match with my experience and what

retiring on June 30. Leading the College since

help us re-imagine UCC as we emerge from the

this campus does for the community,” Dr.

2016, she is now the 5th longest-serving

pandemic and re-de ne education for our

Pokrandt said. “Not only is it a great t, I see

president in UCC’s history. Dr. Pokrandt will join

community. We eagerly anticipate welcoming

where we can build a strong future together.”

the College on July 1

her to our community.”

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 5

OREGON’S LABOR MARKET

Why Oregon’s Labor Market is Tighter Than You Think

By Josh Lehner Oregon Of ce of Economic Analysis oregoneconomicanalysis.com

uring recessions and the early stages of recoveries, hiring employers typically have more workers to choose from when it comes to lling job openings. Unemployed workers greatly outnumber job vacancies. When workers are competing with one another to a greater degree to get a job, it can hold down wage growth. Once the labor market tightens, employers generally need to compete more by increasing wages or other perks to attract and retain workers. The pandemic recession is different. These usual dynamics are either accelerated or gone. Labor demand and wage growth remain strong, while the pool of candidates is smaller than you might think. Nationally and here in Oregon job openings have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Businesses are advertising just as many vacancies today as back in the strong economy a couple years ago.

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Additionally, research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta shows that underlying wage growth remains in-line with pre-COVID trends as well. This combination indicates businesses are not responding to the pandemic recession as if there is a surplus of available workers. In fact a majority of Oregon employers (54%) are citing dif culty hiring workers, just as they have in recent years. This recovery looks different because several simultaneous factors are constraining the supply of labor for job openings. These include a reduced or altered labor force due to COVIDrelated issues, transfer payments and bene ts supporting households more during the pandemic, and rapid hiring during the reopening period creating more intense competition among employers for workers.

Participation Issues Pandemic Concerns The unemployment rate doesn’t include wouldbe workers who are out of the labor force, meaning they neither have a job, nor are they looking for one. Supplemental information from households in the Current Population Survey shows an estimated 45,000 people in Oregon said they were prevented from looking for work due to COVID-related reasons during the rst quarter of 2021. While vaccinations have accelerated, only about half the adult population has received at least one vaccine dose for COVID-19 as of mid-April. COVID case counts are also rising in many areas again this spring. Lack of In-Person Schooling The pandemic has also caused other labor market hurdles for workers, and parents in particular.

Even with the anticipated return of full-time, inperson learning for the 2021-2022 school year, child care slots, which were already too scarce in most areas of the state prior to the pandemic, and summer programs will likely continue operating with reduced capacity for some time. These constraints limit workforce options for some parents of younger children. Federal Aid and Unemployment Bene ts Federal Support to Households Fiscal stimulus and enhanced unemployment bene ts during recessions has generally aimed to encourage economic demand, and support

families during times of economic distress. These safety nets kicked in and seem to have accomplished those goals as the pandemic shut down large portions of the economy and governments asked people to stay home for public health and safety. Federal policy was explicitly designed to aid households and workers due to COVID. Total personal income in Oregon today is about 15% higher than before the pandemic. The primary reason is the strong federal scal policy response to the pandemic. The recovery rebates and enhanced unemployment insurance bene ts each have added $12 billion to personal income in Oregon. This income support is the primary reason why the recovery and overall economic outlook is so bright. Even so, a stronger safety net where incomes are higher today than pre-COVID can reduce labor force participation in the short term for some workers. To the extent this is happening today, it is temporary. Enhanced Unemployment Federal Pandemic Unemployment

Compensation (FPUC) adds $300 onto weekly unemployment insurance bene ts through September 4, 2021. In the rst quarter of 2021, the weekly regular unemployment (UI) bene t has averaged $370 per week. With the additional $300 FPUC payment, that adds up to an average payment of $670 per week. That’s roughly the same as earning $16.75 per hour for someone working full time. During the rst quarter of 2021, that has also represented full wage replacement (between 100% and 104%) relative to regular UI claimants’ prepandemic earnings on the jobs. Some perspective here: earning $670 per week, working year round would total $34,800 in gross earnings for a worker. By comparison, the median earnings for full-time workers in Oregon in 2019 was $50,712. With “Now Hiring” signs in many business windows and stronger wage offerings as employers compete for available workers, it’s unlikely that this bene t, in itself, is keeping a vast number of workers on the sidelines. Furthermore, unemployed workers cannot refuse job offers or a recall to their previous job (if temporarily laid off) because of their

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 7 fi

Heading into the pandemic, one out of every six Oregonians in the labor force had kids, worked in an occupation that cannot be done remotely, and also did not have another non-working adult present in the household, according to research from the Of ce of Economic Analysis. Currently, three-fourths of Oregon’s K-12 schools have students learning remotely from home either part- or full-time, according to Oregon Department of Education records.

unemployment bene t amount. Refusing work solely due to weekly unemployment bene t payments would be considered fraud. The Employment Department provides ways to report job refusals. Expanded Bene ts Eligibility Federal legislation passed in 2020 and 2021 created and has continued the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. This provides unemployment bene ts for the rst time to self-employed, contract, and other workers not covered by UI if they lost work through no fault of their own. For eligible workers, PUA pays a minimum of $205 per week, and each eligible week of bene ts will also include the additional $300 FPUC payment. Prior to the pandemic recession, self-employed, freelance, or other workers whose employer was not subject to UI taxes would have no

8 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

unemployment bene ts available to them if they lost work. Presumably if their work or gigs dried up, some would look for and take a payroll job. The safety net provided by PUA bene ts allows them to be supported and resume their self-employed or contract work once it’s possible and demand picks up again. Concentrated Nature of the Shock The pandemic recession and labor force dynamics differ signi cantly from both the dotcom bust and the Great Recession. Today’s economic pain is not evenly felt across the economy either. Last spring, many businesses with similar labor pools shut down overnight. The economy experienced record-setting job losses and the unemployment rate increased nearly 10 percentage points in April 2020 alone. The pandemic recession unemployment has been

overwhelmingly due to temporary layoff. Many unemployed Oregonians today indicate they are expecting to be recalled to their jobs when the time comes. In the previous recessions, the job losses were largely permanent, and the economic nadir did not occur until more than two years into each cycle. As such, employers, at least those looking to hire at the time, saw excess labor supply accumulate over the course of years. Today, the changes occurred all at once. This includes reopening on a similar timeframe as well. Rather than protracted, increasing unemployment, the jobless numbers have dropped much faster during this recovery. Oregon’s unemployment rate matched the nation’s at 6.0% in March, below the average of 6.8% over the past two decades. Currently, hiring employers are facing a typical or slightly lower-than-typical available labor pool for their job openings.

The available labor force is not evenly distributed either. While all sectors lost jobs in the initial COVID downturn, some have bounced back rapidly or hit new employment highs (such as transportation, warehousing and utilities, and professional and technical services). Depending upon the types of jobs employers are hiring for, there may be no excess labor. Some industries and rms face the same strong economy – growing revenues and increased staf ng needs – today as they did pre-COVID, or at least the pandemic did not change their situation too terribly much. Even within the high-contact, in-person service industries that have borne the brunt of the recession, the effective labor pool may be smaller than it looks. More than 60% of Oregon’s lost jobs in the spring of 2020 were in bars, hotels, nail salons, restaurants, and schools. Recent, large rebounds have been

notable in leisure and hospitality, which has been adding more jobs per month than the overall economy did pre-COVID. As these businesses look to hire workers with similar skills at the same time, it does increase dif culty – and wages or perks – to get workers in the door and on the job. Outlook All told the labor market is tighter than we might expect so quickly after a deep shock to the economy. We expect the pandemic-speci c challenges and issues related to COVID fear and lack of in-person school to ease this fall. Enhanced safety net supports will also expire. A key question is what happens between now and then. At some point, declining COVIDrelated frictions, competition to hire workers, and relatively low unemployment will push to a market clearing wage that pulls more people back into the labor force. Will that make in ationary concerns come to pass as rms look

to raise prices due to wages and other cost increases? Or will future dynamics play out more slowly than the dramatic spikes and drops in unemployment and monthly jobs gains seen over the past year? As the pandemic wanes, and the economy returns to health, we expect the labor market to tighten further. The pool of available candidates will remain below-average even as sidelined workers come back into the labor force, and migration ows return. Employers will need to continue to cast a wider net, and dig deeper in their resume stack to attract and retain workers, just as they were doing pre-pandemic.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 9

CAPICHE CONVERSATIONS: By Chris Cook, Capiche, capiche.us President and CEO of Capiche & Capiche Wine, Chris Cook is a leadership coach focused on happiness, culture, living your brand, and winery marketing & PR. She brings decades of experience in marketing and a love of entrepreneurship.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY MELISSA L. MICHAELS, CAPICHE CONTRIBUTOR/ STRATEGIC PARTNER, MICHAELS & MICHAELS CREATIVE, LLC

here would you like to spend your death? Do you want to return to the earth, becoming part of nature in a way that continues to nurture the life around you? Would you like to be enveloped in the beauty of the forest, cradled in a magni cent landscape where

10 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

Interview with Suzanne Willow, Co-Owner of The Forest Conservation Burial Ground

your loved ones can return to celebrate your life until it is time for them to join you?

experience of life and death with land conservation.”

The rst dedicated natural burial ground in Oregon, The Forest Conservation Burial Ground represents a transition from destructive chemical processes to more ecologically responsible, green methods of burial. Located just outside Ashland, Oregon, within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, The Forest offers a majestic nal resting place while ful lling its mission “to provide a space to reconnect our human

Capiche’s Chris Cook became involved with The Forest early in its development, providing key marketing, public relations, research, and video production services that positioned the organization to succeed in its meaningful work.

Q: The Forest Conservation Burial Ground is the rst of its kind in the state of Oregon. Can you describe The Forest and the inspiration behind creating it?

Q: Reciprocity is at the heart of The Forest’s mission. What does reciprocity mean to you and those who choose this nal destination for themselves and their loved ones? A: At the heart of reciprocity are acknowledgment of the gifts the earth gives us and a desire to return the gifts we receive. Reciprocity calls us to live in gratitude and awareness of our dependence on the health of the earth. Our culture of extraction is the opposite of a culture of reciprocity. The cemetery enables us to conserve the land, and the act of returning our bodies to the earth in a respectful and low-impact manner is an ultimate act of reciprocity.

A: The Forest Conservation Burial Ground is the rst dedicated natural burial ground in Oregon. There are other “traditional” lawn cemeteries (what Americans usually picture when they think of a cemetery) that allow “natural” burial among standard burials. The Forest, however, is the rst to specify the return of bodies to the earth in a way that speci cally does not interfere with decomposition. We do not allow embalmed bodies; concrete or plastic vaults; metal; or exotic wood caskets. Bodies are interred in natural ber shrouds or simple un nished wood caskets. The grave is hand-dug three to four feet deep so the body remains in the biologically active layers of soil, fostering decomposition and mycelial activity. The soil is then carefully returned to the grave in the strata from which it came. My wife, Lanita Witt, and I have always known we wanted to return to the earth on this piece of land. We were encouraged by a small group of people who wondered if they could also be buried here. Thus, this journey began.

Q: What is special about the location of The Forest? A: This valley property was formed by volcanic activity 20 million years ago and has some areas that are very rocky with thin soil. In any ecosystem, there are areas where trees grow well, others that hold water in the wetland and are suited for meadows and willows, and still other areas that have naturally thin soil. We selected this site for The Forest because it is suited both in location and soil types. Distanced from the day-to-day workings of the farm and guest areas, the location allows quieter, private access. The land where we placed the cemetery does not have deep, fertile soil; is outside the wetlands; is not prone to sliding or slumps; and will not rapidly grow new trees. It will remain fairly stable into the future.

Q: Chris Cook started working with The Forest shortly after its genesis. What was her role? A: Chris began working with us about a year ago. We needed advice on marketing, and she helped us develop an overall marketing plan and started us in a good direction. She handled strategy, research, and initial PR work. She continues to provide consulting services as needed. Chris also helped us produce a video and get some media attention at a time that was particularly challenging due to COVID blowing up the news. Chris got us positioned in such a way that our in-house team could assume marketing and PR responsibilities.

Q: What are the responsibilities of your sexton, Mary Ann Perry, and how did her background prepare her for this position? A: Mary Ann joined our burial planning team in January 2019. She has been connected to the Ranch for many years and was married here in 2014. Mary Ann’s life experience led her to become a home funeral guide and green burial educator in

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 11

Interview with Suzanne Willow, Continued from page 11 her spare time. She has long been passionate about community education on end-of-life and after-death care topics. Empowering families to make informed choices is a pleasure for her. When we opened in June 2020 and needed to hire a sexton, Mary Ann was ready and willing. The role is varied, from supporting burials and guiding tours to community presentations and marketing. She has been learning this role along with us, and she loves this work because it aligns with her values. Q: Willow-Witt Ranch was founded in 1985. Tell us about the ranch and how you practice stewardship of the land. A: After Lanita and I purchased the land in 1985, we began experiencing the unique ecosystem that exists on this piece of the earth. We have always been called to share the magic of this environment with others. As we learned more of the natural history and ecology of this land, we felt driven to conserve the healthy functioning aspects of the ecosystem and work toward regenerating the systems that were out of balance. We have continued this practice, and The Forest is a natural extension of this desire to protect and regenerate the ecosystem. Our stewardship activities in the natural burial cemetery and on the farm include regenerative certi ed organic farming; rotational pasture management for our chickens and small goat dairy; selective forest regeneration; and wetland function restoration. We have established a nonpro t, The Crest, for environmental education aimed at reconnecting people of all ages with conservation of the water, forest, and earth. We nurture the interdependence of The Forest, The Crest, the small farm, and the ecosystem in this small valley.

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give back to the life that’s continuing around us.

Q: How does green or natural burial differ from traditional methods, and why are more people gravitating toward this new approach? A: Green, or natural, burial involves returning a body to the earth in the simplest way possible: without embalming uid, grave liner, vault, metals, or plastics. Green burials that support land conservation take this a step further by ensuring all aspects of the burial process focus on care of both the body and land. It is not surprising that people are drawn to this approach, although there isn’t anything new about it. This is how burial has been conducted for thousands of years by most people around the globe. Many are simply beginning to understand that there are good reasons to do no harm in the process of laying our loved ones to rest and that cremation isn’t the most environmentally friendly alternative to conventional burial. Q: Why is natural burial a more ecologically responsible choice than cremation? Do you accept cremains if the family so chooses? A: We do accept cremated remains for burial and scattering at The Forest, knowing cremation is the right choice for some. With cremation, the environmental impact is air pollution of heavy metals and CO2. In the United States, the amount of fuel used annually for all cremations would provide enough fuel to drive halfway to the sun, according to the Green Burial Council (GBC). With natural burial, our bodies can actually

Q: What can a family expect when their loved one passes away? A: Burial at The Forest literally means burial in the forest. One helpful tip I recently heard is to “wear sensible shoes.” Whether families choose to host a home funeral and handle after-death care arrangements themselves or they hire a funeral home for some or all of the arrangements, the drive to the burial ground is the rst opportunity to transition into another space. It can be soothing to mark each transition of this process with silence, song, or prayer. We welcome the family’s participation in all aspects of the burial process, including the digging of the grave, the procession with the body, creating a ceremony together, lowering their loved one into the earth, and closing the grave. We also invite families to return to the burial ground at their leisure. The grounds are open every day from dawn to dusk, and it is a lovely place to hike, birdwatch, meditate, picnic, and simply visit.

Q: The interment process itself can be a beautiful spiritual experience and part of the grieving/healing process.

Family members are welcome to help hand-dig the grave with The Forest’s staff or leave it to staff completely. As you mentioned earlier, the soil is removed in layers and returned to the grave in the same strata as part of your commitment to land conservation. How do family members react to this unique experience? A: One of the elements we love about burial at The Forest is we are truly able to meet families where they are. The nature and circumstances of the death—and, of course, personal preference—all impact a family’s ability and desire to actively participate. We are open to what makes sense in each unique scenario. Some family members and friends are most comfortable witnessing, and others want a hands-on experience. Our intention is to offer support and maintain the integrity of the green burial.

Q: The Forest is about far more than the burial and memorial services. It’s a place for celebration, remembrance, and healing. Tell me about the holistic philosophy behind embracing this sacred space as a place to enjoy during life.

A: Our mission at The Forest is to provide a space to reconnect our experience of life and death with land conservation. While grief and sadness are real and valid, it is dif cult to ignore the fact that life is continuing when one is standing in the middle of a beautiful forest. The burial ground and the whole of Willow-Witt Ranch are full of life-af rming activities that are all equally relevant to the cycle of life and death. We know healing the land through conservation also means we are healing ourselves—whether through mourning a loss or celebrating a union. Q: The Forest represents a return to the pre-1950s funeral home industry, before the time of embalming and toxic chemicals and arti cial materials. Families used to picnic in cemeteries and return often to remember their loved ones. How has the burial and cremation industry transformed over the past century, and why is it so important to embrace a new model like The Forest? A: In general, end-of-life and death care has moved out of the hands of families and friends and into the hands of paid professionals. This has happened for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is our death-phobic culture. Green burial at The Forest offers another way, which in some respects constitutes a return to the past but is also an orientation to what makes it possible now. Embracing natural burial is a way to get closer to the realities of death, see the continuation of life, and make a conscious choice to do no harm with our bodies as we lay them to rest.

Q: People can pay a little more to choose the location of their plot— whether it be in the woods, the meadow, on a little hill, in a sunny or snowy spot. How does the selection process work for those who prepurchase a plot? A: For some, choosing the exact location where your body will be buried is important and meaningful. For others, it simply doesn’t matter, so long as they are in The Forest. We do offer plots on the edges of the meadows, but the meadows themselves are protected wetlands where we won’t be offering burials. We encourage those interested in burial at The Forest to experience the space in person, but visiting the land isn’t necessary or an option for everyone. It is not a prerequisite to purchasing a burial plot. Of the 18.4 acres of the cemetery, just a few acres have been surveyed and are open for burial. And yes, while it’s all a forest, each little nook calls to people in different ways. Q: How can people be con dent the land and their plots will be cared for in perpetuity? A: Willow-Witt Ranch focuses on conservation of the property and restoration of the ecological balance within the ecosystem. Oregon is unique in that it allows stewardship trusts for purpose-driven businesses to direct the mission, purpose, and running of businesses in perpetuity. The stewardship trust has a business (in this case, the land and businesses) as the trustee; the trust is overseen by a stewardship board, which is directed to Continued on page 21

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 13

EMPLOYMENT

Technology Reduces Employment in the Printing Industry

by Brian Rooney Regional Economist Douglas and Lane counties brian.t.rooney@oregon.gov

mployment in printing and related support activities has been on the decline since the late 1990s. Advances in digital technology have contributed to declines in employment in two important ways. First, by changing the marketplace the industry operates in as options to deliver information become

14 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

more diverse. And secondly, by improving productivity so the industry needs fewer workers to do the same amount of work. Firms in the printing and related support activities industry (which will be referred to as the “printing industry”)

print products, such as newspapers, books, periodicals, business forms, greeting cards, and other materials, and perform support activities, such as bookbinding, platemaking, and data imaging. Newspapers and other publishers that do inhouse printing are classi ed in the publishing industry of the

information sector and are not included here. An Industry in Long-Term Decline Employment in the printing industry has been declining for more than a decade, but it remains an important industry in Oregon, employing about 3,900 in 2020. Annual average employment in the industry has dropped about 55% since 2001. Going further back in time, employment in commercial printing had increased until the mid-1990s. It then leveled off for a few years before starting a slow decline in the late 1990s. The decline accelerated during the early part of the 2000s. After a relatively stable period between 2006 and 2008, the industry, like most in manufacturing, was hurt by the Great Recession. Afterwards, employment was relatively stable, declining slowly over the next seven years. The printing industry again lost jobs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, losing roughly 900 jobs between February and April 2020. It has since regained some of the loss to reach about 3,900 jobs by December 2020. The support activities for printing subsector is relatively small, with an annual average

employment of 98 in 2020, down 88% from the 812 recorded in 2001. Technology and the Printing Industry Through history, from ancient Chinese block printing, to Johannes Guttenberg’s movable type press, to lithographic offset printing, to today’s digital printing, technological advances have made printing more productive and of higher quality, increasing the availability of information. Today, however, other forms of media are distributing information at an increasing rate. First radio, then television, and now the Internet and e-books have taken market share. This has reduced the demand for

printed material and contributed to the decline of industry employment. Although some in-house newspaper printing is not included in this industry, the decline of newspaper circulation is a prime example of how technology has reduced the demand for printed material. Online news has many advantages. It is often free of charge, has a wider range of information available, and the ability to provide updates several times a day. This has pushed people online for their news and away from print newspapers. According to the Newspaper Association of America, paid circulation began to drop in the late 1980s. Between 1990 and 2014, weekday circulation in the U.S. dropped from 62,328,000 to 40,420,000, a

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 15

loss of 21,908,000 or 35%. According to estimates from the Pew Research Center, weekday circulation (both print and digital) had dropped to 28,554,137 by 2018. Another way technology can reduce employment is through increased productivity. In many manufacturing industries, improvements in productivity eventually make the industry less labor intensive, reducing employment. One measure of productivity is the output per worker. The second graph measures productivity as the in ation adjusted contribution per worker of the industry to Oregon’s gross domestic

16 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

product. It shows that except for the recessionary period from 2008 to 2009 and again in 2012, the printing and support activities industry has generally increased productivity, going from a little over $50,000 per worker per year in the early 2000s to more than $85,000 per year by 2014. It has since leveled out at a little more than $80,000 per worker. Although productivity can be increased in other ways, it is largely due to better technology. Occupations in the Printing Industry The largest occupations in the printing and related support

activities industry are production workers. These are workers who do the printing, binding, and prepress work. Not surprisingly, the largest occupation is printing press operator, which makes up 26% of the industry’s employment. The next largest occupation, bindery workers, makes up 8% of the industry. These workers take the printed materials and bind them into books and other publications The rst table lists the largest 17 occupations in the printing industry and their wages. The wages listed are for all industries that include the occupation, not just printing and support activities. Wages

in the printing and support activities industry are midlevel. The 2020 average annual pay for the industry is $47,498 compared with an overall statewide wage for all industries of $59,918. However, wages in the industry are low for a manufacturing industry. Overall, manufacturing has an average annual wage of $74,916. Most occupations in printing production, such as printing machine operators and bindery workers, require only a high school diploma and moderate on-the-job training, and tend to pay below the industry average. Others, like prepress technicians and graphic artists, may require education beyond high school and involve artistic skills. These occupations generally pay higher wages. Outlook According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, national employment in the printing and related support activities industry is expected to decline

by roughly 19% between 2019 and 2029. Continued loss of market share to other media and continued automation causes net overall employment to decline in the future, which is about the same pace as recent years. In the 10 years between 2009 and 2019 the industry declined by about 19%. Demand for some forms of printed material like packaging and direct mail advertising that are not as susceptible to replacement by electronic formats is expected to increase along with economic and population growth. This will moderate the losses from technical advances expected elsewhere in the industry. Most occupations in the printing industry in Oregon are expected to decline. However, with an aging labor force, retirements will help provide opportunity. These opportunities show up as replacement openings in

employment projections. The second table shows the expected employment change and replacement needs of occupations most directly related to printing and support activities. These occupations are expected to have no openings created by growth, but are expected to provide opportunity through replacement openings. Conclusion After years of decline since the 1990s, and a big drop during the Great Recession and a smaller one due to COVID-19, the long-term projection is for future advancements in technology to further reduce employment in the printing industry. Still, printed products will have a place in our economy for a long time to come. In the future, declines in printing-industry employment are expected to continue at about the same pace as the past decade.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 17

EMPLOYMENT By Jessica Nelson Employment Economist jessica.r.nelson@oregon.gov

any working parents in Oregon rely on the child care industry for safe, affordable, and educational care for their children. The importance of the industry has been highlighted in the pandemic recession, as child care centers and providers faced new restrictions and risks of providing care in Oregon communities. Employment in the industry dropped a staggering 35% in one month between March and April 2020, and regained less than 40% of those losses by December 2020. As with so much of our lives, the virus and its

18 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

Oregon’s Child Care Industry

spread continue to impact child care jobs and the parents who depend on the care provided by them. Even with the recent spike in unemployment, most parents are in the labor force and employed, translating into a lot of children needing child care. Elementary school closures and distance learning have changed the day-today dynamics of many households, as well as shifting their need for child care. Some families

currently need fewer hours of care, or can do without a formal child care arrangement entirely as children learn at home. Some families, including those of essential workers, face limited options for care outside the home and the constant uncertainty of schedule changes and availability of care when parents need to be at work. Child care slots were too scarce in most of the state prior to the pandemic. The Oregon Child

On top of that, the cost of care continues to rise, with families of young children often spending more on child care than on rent or their mortgage – a trend that existed long before the pandemic but that has been highlighted as parents have left the labor force to care for children at home during COVID-19. For too many families, the juggle and struggle of nding, keeping, and paying for child care

during the pandemic has not been worth the pay at low-wage, and suddenly high-risk jobs.

they become a large economic and business problem.

In responses to a Washington University study from the Social Policy Institute, summarized by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in a December 2020 report Kids, Families and COVID-19, about a third of parents responded in the Aug. 10 2020 to Sep. 2 2020 survey period that they somewhat or strongly agreed they were less likely to return to work in the fall due to a lack of child care (32%). Latino parents were the most likely to report they somewhat or strongly agreed, at 39%. “Whether these parents are nding such care is no longer available, they can no longer afford it or they themselves have been thrust into additional caregiving roles, an enormous portion of the nation’s workers could be sidelined from being able to support themselves and their families.” Disruptions in child care might seem like a household-level problem, but when pervasive and persistent,

Parents make up a sizeable share of Oregon’s labor force. Labor force participation rates are higher among parents than among those without children under the age of 18. Among parents of young children under the age of six, nine out of 10 fathers and seven out of 10 mothers are working. Parents of children under six years of age make up 14 percent of Oregon’s workforce, and those with children ages six to 17 make up another 17 percent. Oregon employers bene t from the services of child care providers because these services help their workforce continue to be stable, reliable, and productive. Small Businesses and Big Pandemic Problems The child care sector was hard hit at the onset of the pandemic recession and heavily affected by

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 19 fi

Care Research Partnership found that in 2018, “Child care supply is inadequate across the state with 72% of Oregon communities being child care deserts, meaning there are only enough regulated slots available for less than a third of a community’s children.” For infants and toddlers, 84% of Oregon communities were found to be child care deserts, compared with 61% when seeking care for a preschooler. Parents of young children already faced limited child care options in our state, and the pandemic has caused changes in community-level demand combined with constrained supply.

Oregon’s Child Care Industry, Continued from page 19 the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Due to the nature of such a closecontact business as caring for children, and additionally to the many changes we all dealt with in the spring that suddenly shifted both demand for and supply of child care, employers had to shift rapidly in the spring to reopen with new safety precautions and limitations to group sizes, cohorts, and a new, much smaller, staf ng footprint. At the onset of COVID-19, the private-sector child care industry dropped 35% of its jobs in the space of one month, moving from near peak employment of about 13,000 jobs in March to 8,400 jobs in April. As of December 2020, the most recent month of available data, Oregon’s child care businesses had regained almost 1,800 of the jobs lost this spring, reaching about 10,200 jobs. The number of businesses didn’t change much between the rst and fourth quarters of the year, dropping from 1,419 to 1,392. So far, with data through December, almost all child care businesses had survived the pandemic. With COVID-related restrictions lasting well into 2021, it remains to be seen whether more widespread business closures will take place, and how that will affect local child care marketplaces as the economy recovers from the pandemic. Over the long-term, child care has seen strong growth. Since the industry has a reliable seasonal pattern, with a drop in jobs during each summer, the 12-month moving average is included in the graph to make the overall trend a bit easier to follow. From 2009 to 2019, Oregon’s child care businesses grew 36%; just about as strong as the 38% growth in privatesector health care and social assistance, the broader sector of which child day care services is a small part. Overall employment grew 21% between 2009 – the depths of the Great Recession – and 2019. Child care businesses tend to be small operations. In 2018, Oregon’s private-sector child care businesses numbered 1,308 and

20 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

employed 12,453 workers. Half of the businesses had four or fewer employees. Fifteen percent of child care businesses employ 20 or more workers. Average wages are low in the industry. Total payroll of child care businesses with employees in 2020 was about $271 million – this averages out to almost $27,000 per worker, less than half the private-sector average of $59,000. The low average wage is due to the low wages of the occupations that dominate the industry. For example, the median wage of a preschool teacher in Oregon in 2020 is $14.71 per hour, and the median wage for childcare workers is $12.90. These two occupations account for more than two-thirds of the employment in the day care industry. Sticker-Shock Costs and Insuf cient Pay Hamper Child Care Market The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley has studied the dynamics of the child care marketplace, which functions with far less public support than other areas of education. “Most families who rely on child care are heavily burdened by the cost, and by the time their fees are applied to all the expenses it takes to run a program, very little is available for the educators themselves. As a result, educators end up subsidizing the true cost of high quality services with their low wages.” Investments in the public good of high-quality, stable, and accessible child care will bene t all of us, yet they remain a dif cult public-policy sell. There are good reasons, in terms of equity and economic stability, to increase such investments. In its study Oregon Early Learning Workforce, the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership notes, “Lower levels of compensation have been shown to be associated with higher teacher turnover, lower teacher morale, and lower levels of observed quality.” Turnover among regulated child care facilities far exceeds turnover at K-12

schools. Teacher turnover negatively impacts children directly by disrupting the relationships with the adults caring for them, and indirectly through lower morale among remaining teachers. Between 2012 and 2018, the annual turnover rates in child care facilities ranged from 16 to 29% per year. In all, just 32% of Oregon’s 2012 child care workforce were still working in child care in 2018. Programs paying lower wages tended to have lower levels of teacher retention than the industry norm. As the importance of early childhood education is embraced and more fully supported, efforts are underway to better measure and support the professional development of child care workers and preschool teachers and more fully align their training and compensation with the broader array of educators. The study concluded, “Low wages are associated with high turnover rates in both early learning and K-12. High turnover rates harm children and challenge professional development investments; although in Oregon’s early learning workforce we nd that those in whom we made professional development investments were mainly in the group who remained in the workforce.” The child care industry has grown over the longterm in response to the increasing numbers of families in which both parents work, and to the increasing number of households headed by women. The pandemic recession has harmed employment in the industry a great deal, and its implications for business survival and retention of the child care workforce are still developing as we struggle to get COVID-19 under control. Families and businesses rely on a stable child care industry. Increasing availability and affordability of reliable child care options will be necessary to getting Oregonians back to work in the economic recovery after the pandemic.

Interview with Suzanne Willow, Continued from page 13 follow the purpose for which the trust was established. The cemetery is deed-restricted —the property of the cemetery can never be developed or taken out of cemetery status. Q: You recently added the Pet Cemetery. Can people be buried with their beloved animals if they wish to do so? A: We do offer burial plots on the edge with the Pet Cemetery for those who want to be next to their beloved furry family members. We also welcome cremated pet remains to be buried with their human companion at the time of the human’s interment. We do not allow burial of full pet bodies in the human burial ground areas.

A: Grave markers are optional at The Forest. We do place a simple survey-type marker on top of each burial engraved with name, birthdate, and death date. Stone markers sourced from the land of the ranch are available for purchase for those who desire this. We also offer memorial benches and the planting of native shrubs. Q: Do you have special discounts for veterans or other groups? A: We offer payment plans as well as a 5percent discount for those who purchase a plot in full. We are building a Community Support Fund to promote equitable access to burial at The Forest. Q: I understand you’ve been running Zoom webinars, which have been very well-received. What kind of information do you present, and how would someone go about viewing or participating in one of these webinars? A: We have collaborated with several other groups in offering green burial community education. It has been a joy to work with the Unitarian Universalists of Grants Pass, Ashland Senior Center, and The Peaceful Presence Project in Bend.

Q: How do you protect the plots from scavengers and other potential threats? A: All bodies, whether in a container or shroud, are covered with at least 18 inches of soil. This creates a smell barrier for animals. According to the Green Burial Council, there aren’t any instances of animals digging up a grave. The GBC has a great FAQ that answers this and a lot of other common questions about green burial. Q: What options are available for gravestones or markers?

We have upcoming presentations with Jackson County Library Services and Deschutes Public Library, both on July 14. People can visit the libraries’ Events pages to register. These presentations focus on green burials in general, and we share a little about The Forest, too. For those who want to visit in person, we offer community group tours of the burial ground every rst Saturday and Wednesday of the month, May through October. Registration is through our website.

well as for family members who’ve had people buried there. You’re also planning another open house for the general public. Can you provide details about those events and how people can sign up? A: Yes! We are so excited to nally be opening our doors to the (masked and distanced) community. The Memorial Day “Time of Remembrance” is a special invitation to plot owners, those interested in purchasing a plot, and especially families and friends of loved ones interred at The Forest. There will be tables and chairs for family picnics, self-guided tours, and a remembrance activity. Families are welcome to visit any time from dawn to dusk, and staff will be onsite from 11 am to 1 pm. Our Opening Blessing Ceremony is our public opportunity to bless the land and honor this resting place together. This summer solstice celebration is from 4–7pm on Sunday, June 20. Registration is not required for either event. Q: How has The Forest changed your understanding of and feelings about death? A: We have always felt that we, as humans, are a part of nature—not separate from or superior to the natural world. A deeper appreciation of death and burial has brought us even closer the cycles of nature and life/death, living/dying. Placing a beloved family member in the accepting and encompassing earth clearly becomes a returning “home.” Natural burial does not erase the sting of death, but it helps ease the sadness, loss, and pain and brings a sense that we really do belong to nature and are one with the earth.

Q: You have an open house coming up on Memorial Day weekend for people who have purchased a plot already as

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 21

EMPLOYMENT

Oregon’s 2020 Natural Population Increase Was the Lowest on Record

By Sarah Cunningham Employment Economist sarah.e.cunningham@oregon.gov

n 2020, Oregon’s population increased by 31,655 to 4,268,055. This marked growth of 0.7% over the year and growth of 11.4% since the 2010 Census. Portland State University’s Population Research Center recently released more detailed information on why this population growth has occurred. There are two main reasons that lead to population change. First, an area increases in population if more births than deaths occur in a given year or vice versa. Second, population can increase or decrease through net migration. That is, over the year, people either move into or out of an area. A positive value of net migration means more people moving into an area than

22 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

leaving it, while a negative value of net migration indicates more people leaving an area than moving in. In 2020, natural increase contributed 3,100 to population growth, which was the lowest since comparable records began in 1960. The low natural increase is caused by an increase in the number of deaths (37,800), which was the highest total since 1960. In 2018 and 2019, there were 36,600 deaths in Oregon each year. Since 2011, Oregon had a relatively low natural increase compared with the prior four decades.

Oregon Continues to Attract Migrants With 28,600 net migrants, 90% of Oregon’s population increase in 2020 was due to net migration. Over the past 20 years, Oregon had an average net migration of 29,300 people per year. The lowest number of net migrants over the last 20 years was 7,000 in 2010. In general, we see net migrants increase as the economy expands and more jobs become available. Notice that prior to the Great Recession, net migration was booming in Oregon. As the recession hit, people became less mobile. This, combined with Oregon experiencing a deeper recession than the nation as a whole, brought net migration to its lowest levels since the 1980s. In the most recent

decrease in population between 2010 and 2020. These 16 counties that experienced a natural decrease in population were home to 33% of Oregon’s 65-and-over population in 2020. But, these counties only made up 25% of Oregon’s entire population. The average share of the population 65 and over in these 16 counties was 25% compared with the 19% share for the state as a whole. The disproportionate share of people 65 and over in the 16 counties was a major factor in their natural population decrease. economic expansion, net migration peaked in 2017 at 56,800 before beginning to decline in 2018, likely driven by a slower-growing economy and ongoing housing availability and affordability. The current economic crisis driven by public health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to continued declines in 2020. There were 20% fewer net in-migrants in 2020 than in 2019. For more on the link between migration and economic growth, visit Damon Runberg’s article Migration in Oregon Before the Days of COVID. Metro Areas Gain Most from Net Migration From 2010 to 2020, Oregon’s net migration gain was 340,100, which made up more than three-quarters (78%) of the population gain. Revised natural increase and net migration by county data from Portland State University’s Population Research Center show the net migration gain in metro areas of the state was 301,300, which accounted for 89% of total net migration gains in the state. Since 84% of Oregonians live in a metro area, this gain suggests the share of Oregonians living in metro areas is increasing.

Two counties in Oregon lost population between 2010 and 2020: Harney and Grant, losing 1.9% and 1.7% of population, respectively. Both counties experienced a natural decrease in population. Harney County also had negative net migration, but Grant experienced positive net migration. Wheeler County had a negligible population decrease of one person. Sixteen counties in Oregon had a natural decrease in population between 2010 and 2020. In addition to the two counties that lost population, Douglas, Josephine, Coos, Curry, Lincoln, Tillamook, Baker, Crook, Jackson, Lane, Wallowa, Lake, Wasco, and Wheeler had more deaths than births between 2010 and 2020. Gilliam and Sherman had a negligible natural

Population Estimates by Age and Sex The Population Research Center at Portland State University prepares annual population estimates for Oregon and its counties by age and sex, and incorporated cities and towns as of July 1 each year. These estimates serve as the of cial population numbers between each decennial Census, and are used to disburse state revenues to Oregon counties and cities. To explore and use population estimates data for 2020 and prior years for Oregon and its counties, visit https://www.pdx.edu/populationresearch/population-estimate-reports.

While metro areas in Oregon grew 12.7% between 2010 and 2020, rural areas grew only 5.2%. In some cases, counties saw a decline in population. Declines can occur due to losses through both natural decrease and net migration, or one of the two factors outweighing the other.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 23

24 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 25

By Press Release

eople’s Bank of Commerce (OTCBB: PBCO) announced today its nancial results for the rst quarter of 2021. The bank reported net income of $2,892,000, or $0.73 per diluted share, for the rst quarter of 2021 compared to net income of $1,111,000, or $0.33 per diluted share, in the same quarter of 2020. First quarter earnings in 2021 were impacted by the onetime, non-recurring merger accounting adjustments with Willamette Community Bank totaling $527 thousand or $0.10 per diluted share. Earnings per share for the trailing 12 months were $2.17 per share up from $1.36 per share for the same period of 2020, or a 59% increase. The rst quarter of 2021 reports consolidated numbers after the merger and are compared to PBCO on a standalone basis for the rst quarter of 2020: • Total assets of $808 million, an increase 116%, compared to the rst quarter of 2020 • Net loans of $508 million, an increase of 91% compared to the rst quarter of 2020 • Deposits of $719 million, an increase of 132% compared to rst quarter of 2020 • Tangible book value per share of $14.13, an increase of 15% compared to rst quarter of 2020

Acquisition of Willamette Community Bank On March 1, 2021, the bank completed the acquisition of Willamette Community Bank (“WMCB”). As of the acquisition date, WMCB was merged with and into People’s Bank of Commerce. As a result of the merger agreement, WMCB shareholders received 0.6665 shares of People’s Bank common stock plus $1.70 in cash per share for each share of WMCB common stock. People’s Bank issued an aggregate 1,238,334 shares of its common stock and paid cash of $3.2 million for total consideration paid of $20.4 million. Balance Sheet The bank’s total assets increased $284.7 million, or 54%, to $808.1 million at March 31, 2021, from $523.3 million as of December 31, 2020. The WMCB merger resulted in an increase of total assets, $221.6 million at the merger date. Investment securities increased $25.7 million, or 99.4%, during the quarter to $51.6 million as of March 31, 2021 from $25.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily the result of

26 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 fi

People's Bank Reports First Quarter Earnings

COMMUNITY BANKING

investments acquired in the WMCB merger, which the bank has retained within its portfolio. Total portfolio loans, net of allowance for loan losses, increased $166.4 million, or 48.7%, to $508.2 million as of March 31, 2021, versus $341.7 million at December 31, 2020. Total loans outstanding, excluding loans acquired in the WMCB merger, increased $22.3 million during the quarter. Total deposits increased $263.6 million, or 57.8%, to $719.3 million as of March 31, 2021 from $455.7 million at December 31, 2020. Of the increase, $197.9 million was attributed to the WMCB merger. The bank completed a one-way sell of $19.5 million in one-month CDARS during the quarter. This sell was designed to reduce the already high liquidity position of the bank. Total shareholders’ equity increased $19.3 million, or 36.5%, during the quarter. Changes in equity during the three months ended March 31, 2021 were as follows:

Better Together People’s Bank and Willamette Community Bank have merged to become a new, combined organization. We are excited to work with like-minded partners to extend our services to customers and businesses in the northern Willamette Valley, providing banking services that are truly in touch with the needs of our local residents. Because together, we’re better.

Excluding one-time merger adjustments, diluted earnings per share would have been $0.83 for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, versus $0.33 for the same quarter, prior year. For the twelve months ended March 31, 2021, excluding one-time merger expenses, earnings per share would have been $2.28 as of March 31, 2021, versus $1.36 for the same twelve month’s ended March 31, 2020. CEO’s Comments

quarter of $2,649,000 vs. $1,504,000 for the same period in 2020, a 76% increase.” “The loan pipeline for the combined bank continues to be strong with approved credits pending funding totaling $65.3 million as the March 31, 2021. PPP loans outstanding as of quarter end were $102 million, with year-todate PPP loan fee income of $1.5 million. The balance of the PPP loan fee income expected to be earned in 2021 totals $3.1 million,” commented Trautman.

“With the merger of Willamette completed on March 1st, all anticipated merger expenses have been expensed in the rst quarter,” commented Ken Trautman, CEO. “These merger expenses

“The bank worked very hard to respond to the needs within our communities during the Covid pandemic. It was a monumental, uni ed effort across all departments within the bank to deliver

were offset by strong earnings during the quarter, including performance from our factoring company, Steelhead Finance, and from the mortgage division. Steelhead and mortgage combined reported gross income for the current

the volume of PPP loans we did and to have had the resulting positive impact on our local economies. Our staff continues to work very hard in providing new Round 2 PPP loans and in facilitating our clients' receipt of forgiveness,” noted Trautman. The table below presents the number and dollar amounts of the bank's PPP activity to date by quarter: Credit Quality & Provision for Credit Losses Loan quality continues to be strong with 0.22% of loans past due over 30 days or on Non-Accrual at the end of the rst quarter of 2021 vs. 0.00% for the same period last year. There were four loans on deferral as of March 31, 2021, with

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Operating Results Net income increased $1,781,000, or 160%, to $2,892,000 through March 31, 2021 versus the rst quarter of 2020. During the rst quarter of 2021, interest income and fee amortization of PPP loans resulted in additional interest income of $1.4 million. Non-interest income increased by $3,550,000, or 184.2%, versus the same quarter prior year. The increase was attributed to an increase in mortgage lending income of $788 thousand, or 143%, to $1,341,000 through March 31, 2021, and an increase in Steelhead Finance factoring income of $357 thousand, or 38%, to $1,308,000 for the current quarter versus the prior year. In addition, there was a bargain purchase gain of $2,343,000 from the WMCB merger. Non-interest expense for the rst quarter of 2021 was $7.7 million compared to $3.8 million for the same quarter of 2020, signi cantly impacted by the one-time merger expenses of $2.9 million. Deducting the onetime non-interest expenses associated with the merger of $2.9 million results in core expenses of $4.8 million in the rst quarter of 2021, a 28% increase over the prior year. During the rst quarter 2021, $361 thousand in PPP fee income was applied as an offset to employee expense for processing of new PPP loans added during the quarter. In addition, the bank has committed to provide $1 million in intermediate and long-term housing relief in Southern Oregon from res experienced in our community in 2020, of which $250 thousand was expensed in the rst quarter of 2021. The one-time merger expenses in the rst quarter of 2021 resulted from the following:

outstanding balances of $3.5 million. Of the deferred loans, two are hospitality loans with outstanding balances of $988 thousand, one loan to a faith-based organization has an outstanding balance of $2 million, and one loan to a national social/service organization has an outstanding balance of $532 thousand. Now that the bank has a better feel for the effect of COVID in our markets, the bank decreased its reserve to outstanding loans, (excluding PPP loans) to 1.01% at the end of the rst quarter in 2021. The Allowance for Loan and Lease losses (ALLL) was reduced 1.45% for People’s Bank portfolio loans and all Willamette Community Bank (WMCB) new loans booked in March of 2021, excluding PPP. The ALLL for WMCB was eliminated at the completion of the merger and a fair value adjustment was applied to the outstanding portfolio per GAAP purchase accounting guidelines. The carrying value of the loans acquired in the WMCB merger was $145.5 million and the related fair value discount was $1.2 million or 0.84% of the acquired balance. The unallocated portion of the reserve stands at $964 thousand or 22.3% of the ALLL. Capital At March 31, 2021, tangible capital totaled $67.8 million. The bank’s Tier 1 Capital ratio was 8.44% at the end of the rst quarter 2021, compared to 11.64% one year ago. Tangible book value per share was $14.13 on March 31, 2021, compared to $12.32 on March 31, 2020. About People’s Bank of Commerce People’s Bank of Commerce’s stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol PBCO. Additional information about the Bank is available in the investor section of the bank’s website at: www.peoplesbank.bank. Founded in 1998, People’s Bank of Commerce is the only locally owned and managed community bank in Southern Oregon. People’s Bank of Commerce is a full-service, commercial bank headquartered in Medford, Oregon with branches in Albany, Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Lebanon, and Salem.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 29

We can choose to live in the extremes, left or right, up or down, black or white. However, the world is dominated by gray, that huge expanse between the extremes. The separation occurs at a place we call a “Fine Line”. Crossing the line is a commitment to a choice, that “Road Not Taken” poem by Robert Frost comes to mind.

4. “A Fine Line” will be appearing in many publications beginning in June, 2021. A number of topics will be addressed in a short, readable format. They will cover primary industry sectors, public interest items, random thoughts and responses to chosen topics provided by others. A strong effort is always made to stay out of the biased fray of political opinion. When controversial subjects are addressed every effort is always made to share the existence of opposing opinions.

Industry Sectors often in the posted articles: 1. Health and Health Care 2. Technology 3. Agriculture 4. Manufacturing 5. Economic Development 6. Education 7. Business Management 8. Transportation 9. Employment 10. Start-Up Business 11. Random Thoughts

Opening sentences of articles you may see – 8. 1. “Sudden Oak Death Syndrome has been devastating Curry County.”

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The Extremes

“A Terra Flop is a unit of computing speed The Road Not Taken equal to one million Robert Frost - 1874-1963 million (1012) Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

oating-point And sorry I could not travel both

operations per And be one traveler, long I stood

second.” And looked down one as far as I could

“The United States is To where it bent in the undergrowth;

the second largest Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

manufacturer by Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

output in the world, Though as for that the passing there

trailing China by about Had worn them really about the same,

$150 billion who And both that morning equally lay

stands at over two In leaves no step had trodden black.

trillion dollars Oh, I kept the rst for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

annually.” I doubted if I should ever come back.

5. “Presently Science, I shall be telling this with a sigh

Religion and Art all Somewhere ages and ages hence:

have starkly different Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

views of what reality I took the one less traveled by,

and truth are. – David And that has made all the di erence. Drayer, January 6, 2018.” “Americans for Modern Our team of experienced professionals will Transportation (AMT) supports efforts to help to better ensure the validity and reduce emissions and improve fuel accuracy of information shared. Please help ef ciency.” by suggesting ways to improve the vetting americansformoderntransportation.org process. “Who is responsible for paying to improve education, end hunger, prevent wild res, When you want to share house the homeless, heal the sick, your thoughts, please drop determine infrastructure needs, make our me a note. I’d love to hear streets safe and to enforce our from you. Really. regulations?” “Is America safe?”

Everyone makes choices. Some good, some not so good and some that are terrible. That’s the way things work. How we make our choices can make our success rates in them much more probable. Sometimes its uncertain.

2. “Thousands of acres of important crops have not been planted in Centra Oregon this year because there is not enough water.”

by Greg Henderson

Greg Henderson Greg Henderson is the retired founder of the Southern Oregon Business Journal. A University of Oregon graduate and a six year U.S. Air Force veteran, he spent nearly 30 years in banking and nance. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications concentrating on some 20 industry sectors. Contact him at ghenderson703@gmail.com

Hunter Communications Appoints Chief Financial Of cer and plans to grow workforce by 30% in 2021

By Press Release

team as we plan our expansion throughout 2021 and beyond.”

unter Communications (Hunter), the premier beroptic communications services provider in southern Oregon and northern California, announced that Sam Pauley has been appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Of cer (CFO). Pauley will lead Hunter’s nancial operations, as well as oversee corporate nance, participate in new business opportunities, and assist in identifying new funding opportunities. “Sam brings both nancial and operational telecommunications experience, which will help us align our business goals and strategies with operations as we move forward with our growth plans,” says Michael Wynschenk, Chief Executive Of cer of Hunter Communications. “We are pleased to welcome Sam to our executive

“Hunter Communications has an exceptional reputation in the telecommunications industry and I have always thought very highly of them. After meeting with their extraordinary leadership team, it solidi ed my decision to join and help take Hunter to the next level,” said Sam Pauley, Chief Financial Of cer of Hunter Communications. Pauley brings more than 14 years of experience as a nance professional to Hunter. Prior to joining Hunter Communications, Pauley served as the Senior Director of Finance and Controller at Wave Broadband, where he managed accounting, and nancial planning and analysis for Washington state operations. Pauley is a Certi ed Public Accountant and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Accounting and Management and Business Administration from Western Washington University. Hunter workforce to grow by 30% in 2021 Hunter is ramping up hiring this year to extend their state-of-the-art ber optic network to business and residential customers in southern

Oregon and northern California. With plans to increase employment by 30% in 2021, they will be able to build out aerial and buried ber to new locations. Hunter is welcoming construction laborers, utility locators, aerial linemen and foreman, ber optic installation technicians, ber project managers, outsideplant engineers and others to the team. Hunter Communications has been awarded $19.2 million through the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction to deploy 100% ber-optic broadband networks to offer up to 1 gigabit symmetrical internet services to 5,771 underserved homes and businesses. “Hunter has long been considered the ’employer of choice’ and one of the most reputable employers in southern Oregon,” says Rebecca Boyd, Human Resources Director at Hunter Communications. “We’re currently focused on growing our Hunter teams to uphold our reputation of exceptional service in the new communities we’re serving. It’s a pleasure to welcome our newest team members!” For the latest additions to the Hunter Teams and current employment opportunities, please visit Careers at Hunter Communications.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 31

PEOPLE

EDUCATION By Press Release Sheryl Zimmerer szimmerer@logoscharter.com

Logos Public Charter School is Growing!

At the regular session of the Medford School District School Board Meeting, Thursday, April 22nd, the Medford School Board approved a new 5-year contract with an increase to student enrollment at Logos Public Charter School. With 1060 students currently, Logos was already the largest non-virtual charter school in Oregon. The school has had a waitlist for many years but the demand for an established, trusted, home-based program during the coronavirus shutdowns has exponentially increased the number of students seeking their program. This year alone the waitlist has burgeoned to over 500 students. The Medford School District School Board approved an increase of 250 students which will be allocated over the next 4 school years as follows: 2021-2022 enrollment 1160, 2022-2023 enrollment of 1210,

2023-2024 enrollment of 1260, 2024-2025 enrollment of 1310. After the vote at the School Board Meeting, School Board Member Cynthia Wright stated, “My hats off to Logos. They have done really well. I’m excited that more people get an opportunity to attend Logos because they’ve come up with some really great results and are offering a great educational option for people that want that and I’m excited that more kids have that option.” Superintendent Dr. Bret Champion said, “In the Medford School District, we believe that ALL options should be open and hopeful for students. We continue to appreciate the commitment of Logos to ensure our families have options for a high quality education.” Executive Director of Logos Public Charter School, Sheryl Zimmerer, is pleased with the con dence that the vote holds, stating, “Medford School

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District has shown it is an educational leader in options for students in Jackson and even Josephine Counties by continuing to support Logos. Charter schools in Oregon are tasked by the legislature with being innovative, more exible, taking responsible risks around education, and to be a model and catalyst for change in traditional schools. Logos has provided an innovative and extraordinary education for thousands of students across the Rogue Valley in the last decade. With our great program and high graduation rate, we have grown into the largest non-virtual charter school in Oregon. We are excited to be able to offer our program to even more students! We are thankful for the Medford School District for seeing the value in our program.” Parents interested in enrolling K-12 students should visit the website at https://logoscharter.com/enrollment.

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EVENTS

Oregon Wine Experience® announces 2021 event plans

BY PRESS RELEASE DESIRAE MACGILLIVRAY MYERS MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING ASANTE FOUNDATION, ASANTE WINE EXPERIENCE

regon Wine Experience® (OWE), one of the top destination charity wine and culinary events, announced plans for its 2021 signature celebration taking place Aug. 23-29, 2021. A unique event format, including smaller-scale physical gatherings and virtual options, will allow attendees to enjoy the event safely, or from the comfort of their homes. Key events, such as the Founders’ Barrel Auction and Grand Tasting, are back with enhancements.

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“Communities around Oregon demonstrated their commitment to OWE and its cause in 2020. We’re proud to join together again in 2021 with a new event format and demonstrate the growing philanthropic impact this event has,” said Floyd Harmon, executive director, Asante Foundation. 2021 main events schedule OWE meticulously outlined four phased event plans to accommodate varying

state and county guidelines. In-person events will follow all current mandates and protocol requirements in August. The format is subject to change based on the guidelines at the time of the event. Below is the anticipated schedule: Wednesday, Aug. 25 and Thursday, Aug. 26 – Founders’ Barrel Auction: Attendees and sponsors can bid on a chance to win exclusive wine curated speci cally for OWE from all corners of the state. A Collectors’ Tasting

Thursday, Aug. 26 – Virtual Medal Celebration: This event will be hosted via a livestream showing for anyone to tune in virtually. Viewers will have a front row seat as the 2021 Oregon Wine Competition results are announced. Sponsors will receive exclusive “Medal Celebration in a box” packages to enjoy the award-winning wine and culinary bites. The general public will also have an option to purchase these while supplies last. Friday, Aug. 27 – Grand Tasting: Taste Oregon’s award-winning wine and culinary excellence. This includes multiple windows for smaller groups of attendees to enjoy the tastings in compliance with capacity and safety regulations. Saturday, Aug. 28 – Miracle Auction & Salmon Bake: During an opulent salmon dinner, the program will showcase the story of a local patient and the vast impact of community support through OWE. The master of ceremonies and auctioneer will take the audience on an engaging ride through a live auction with coveted auction items and cuing a Paddle Raise. The program will also be available online via livestream. Mobile bidding will be open all week for Silent Auction items. August – Ultimate Vintner Dinners: These small, intimate gatherings will take place at wineries

and culinary partner locations throughout August for top-tier sponsors. Another new enhancement to OWE is its elevated brand presence. Designed in partnership with Portland-based agency, Sasquatch, the new visual identity and website present the event as approachable, community-oriented and sincere, keeping Oregon wine and OWE’s commitment to philanthropy at the heart of the brand. “Since 2015, OWE has grown exponentially, garnering statewide and national attention. The new brand represents the natural evolution of that transformation and our renewed focus. We truly believe that this signature event celebrates the very best of Oregon—the very best wine, food, attendees, sponsors, cause, and the beauty and wonder of Oregon,” said Harmon. OWE will take place on the Bigham Knoll campus in Jacksonville, Oregon. For more details on the events, please visit theoregonwineexperience.com or call (541) 789-5025. About Oregon Wine Experience® Since its inception in 2015, Oregon Wine Experience® (OWE) has raised more than $6.6 million, bene ting Children’s Miracle Network and other health care programs funded by Asante Foundation. Asante is a local, community-owned and governed notfor-pro t organization with nearly 6,000 employees who provide medical care to nearly 600,000 people in a nine-county area of Southern Oregon and Northern California. The multi-day wine and

culinary event celebrates the very best of Oregon and will take place August 23-29, 2021. For more information visit: theoregonwineexperience.com. About Asante Foundation For more than 60 years, philanthropy has helped Asante provide and enhance health care for communities throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California. Asante Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Asante, a local, community-owned and governed notfor-pro t health system, is an integral partner in Asante’s vision to be your trusted health partner for life – every person, every time. Asante Foundation launched AsanteForward, the most signi cant campaign effort in our history, to transform the quality and scope of health care available in Asante’s ninecounty region, with a goal of at least $50 million. This campaign is the largest philanthropic endeavor ever attempted in this area. At the core of AsanteForward are ve speci c initiatives including behavioral health, cancer care, expanded emergency services and a new patient pavilion to house several areas of care including a new women’s and children’s hospital, cardiac care, critical care and advanced surgical services. To learn more, please visit asantefoundation.org.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 35 fi

will take place on Wednesday for previous bidders, sponsors and select Asante Foundation donors. Multiple tasting windows will take place on Thursday. All bidding is online.

NEW SERVICE BY JIM TEECE PUBLISHER - SOUTHERN OREGON BUSINESS JOURNAL

Launching Managed Home Net

My wife, Dena, and I own Ashland Home Net. We live in Ashland. Our kids were born here and went through the world-class Ashland Public Schools system. Ashland Home Net is a small company. We have under 10 employees. Over the years we have been fortunate to grow into the largest ISP in Ashland. We resell Internet Service via the Ashland Fiber Network, Cable TV and Phone Service. We provide technical support for thousands of customers. Sometimes we get calls because of an internet issue and once we concur, we dispatch a technician from the city to see if they can x it. (The city of Ashland owns the Ashland Fiber Network)

But over the years we have noticed a trend. A super majority of our calls are not related to the internet service at all. The calls are about the devices in your home on your wireless network. We all have smart phones, tablets, streaming TVs or set top boxes that are streaming every channel we carry on classic cable TV as well as Net ix etc. And then COVID-19 hit and we were all told to work and educate from home. The home network now became the most important and many times the most vulnerable network. At your of ce or school, the network enginners keep the wi up and running and secure. But who does this at your home? So in January of 2021 we launched our new service, Managed Home Net.

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If you have a compatible wireless router we can remotely manage your wi network for you and help you keep it secure, fast and reliable. For a small fee per month we can manage your in-home wi network and save for expensive truck-rolls. We work with any ISP. Charter? Spectrum? AFN Direct? Jeffnet? Ashland Home Net? Rogue Broadband? Yes. All ISPs and not just in Ashland. We have clients all over Jackson County and Douglass County. We also have a few clients in Lane County and Deschutes County. That’s why we branded this service differently from Ashland Home Net. It will work anywhere on any network. One client in Redmond, with a rented Modem/Router combo was frustrated with

the speeds they were getting and when we plugged in our Motorola Wi Router, the speeds jumped up to 100% of what they were paying for and we showed them where the bottlenecks were. The rst month is free (a new wi router is required). Check it out and let me know what you think by dropping me a note at Jim@ProjectA.com. We are excited about this new service and look forward to serving the needs of our customers for many more years. We are proud of the fact that we are the largest ISP in Ashland, Oregon and we are thankful for everyone supporting our small “mom-and-pop” operation. Find out more at ManagedHomeNet.com

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 37

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38 | Southern Oregon Business Journal January 2021

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 39

ENVIRONMENT

Avista declares natural gas emission reduction goal

PRESS RELEASE AVISTA

Company plans to reduce emissions 30% by 2030, 100% by 2045

On EarthDay, Avista announced its goal to reduce emissions for natural gas. Building on the company’s clean electricity goals, Avista has set a new aspirational natural gas goal of being carbon neutral by 2045, with a near-term goal of 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “We are proud to continue our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability,” said Dennis Vermillion, president and CEO of Avista. “We set an ambitious renewable electric energy goal in 2019—to serve our customers with 100% clean electricity by 2045 and to have a carbon-neutral supply of electricity by 2027. Today’s announcement demonstrates that

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our vision of a clean energy future encompasses both electric and natural gas resources. We are dedicated to reducing and ultimately eliminating greenhouse gases from the energy we deliver to our customers. “Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fuels and plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions, particularly when used directly by customers in their homes rather than used to generate electricity to meet the same need. Compared to wood, heating oil and other fuels, natural gas improves air quality. At the same time, we recognize there is opportunity to improve and bring those emissions down even further.

“Our strategy to achieve lower emissions includes investing in new technologies, like renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen and other renewable biofuels. We are evaluating how to best integrate RNG into our gas supply portfolio and researching hydrogen as another renewable fuel. Our other strategies include reducing consumption via conservation and energy ef ciency and improving infrastructure,” Vermillion said. “As with reductions in emissions associated with electricity, we will need innovation and affordable technologies to achieve these goals.” Avista entered the natural gas business with the purchase of Spokane Natural Gas Company in 1958. Today, Avista serves more than 367,000 natural gas

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

customers in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon. “Avista has always been committed to balancing reliability and affordability while maintaining responsibility for our environmental footprint, and our actions demonstrate these values,” said Vermillion. “We have seen reduction in relative emissions due to energy ef ciency measures and other proactive efforts. Avista is committed to decarbonizing our electric system and reducing emissions in our gas operations, recognizing that those objectives must be achieved responsibly on behalf of our customers and the communities we serve.”

Avista was founded on clean, renewable hydro power on the banks of the Spokane River in 1889 and has continued to maintain a generation portfolio that is more than half renewable. Additional examples of Avista’s strong track record of environmental stewardship include: · In 2020, Avista doubled wind power generation— Rattlesnake Flat Wind and Palouse Wind projects together have 115 wind turbines, generating enough electricity to power nearly 75,000 homes. · Forty years ago, Avista was one of the rst utilities in the nation to establish an energy ef ciency program, and since this program started, customer

electric usage has been reduced by 15 percent. · In the 1980s, the company built the rst utility-scale biomass wood- red power plant, improving air quality where waste from the timber industry was otherwise burned onsite without emissions controls. Learn more about Avista’s natural gas emission reduction goal and commitment to environmental stewardship at www.myavista.com/greener.

Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 41

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY JIM TEECE PUBLISHER - SOUTHERN OREGON BUSINESS JOURNAL

Avista launches SizeUpSouthernOregon SizeUp’s groundbreaking and award winning technology. All information is customized to your service area. Features include Benchmark Performance See how you size up by comparing your performance to all other competitors in your industry. SizeUp super-crunches millions of data points so businesses know where they rank. Discover New Customers Find new customers, suppliers, and better understand the competitive landcape. Visualize new business opportunities through lists of companies and analysis of consumers. Optimize Advertising Target your ideal customers based on the preferred client characteristics that matter to your company. Then, determine the best places to target your next marketing campaign.

Avista Utilities has launched a new service at SouthernOregon.SizeUp.com that will compare your business to your industry competitors and help you nd customers, suppliers and competitors in the markets you serve. It will also help you optimize your target advertising and marketing. According to Steve Vincent, Oregon Regional Business Manager, “Avista recently contracted with business intelligence tool Size Up LBI on behalf of chambers of commerce and economic development partners across all of our communities in the

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Paci c Northwest. For southern Oregon we’ve contracted for data and service in Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake counties. “

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I checked out the FREE tool online and entered the data about my companies and was excited about the comparisons and data it gave me in return.

About SizeUp SizeUp is a Fintech (Financial Technology) Internet service company dedicated to providing powerful business intelligence.

According to the website size.com SizeUp Local Business Intelligence (LBI) shows businesses how they can grow within your area and stay competitive, powered by

Sponsors The Southern Oregon Business Journal extends sincere thanks to the following companies for their continued presence as important cogs in the wheels of industry in southern Oregon.

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Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2021 | 43

Esports Matter

EDUCATION from SOU News https://soucommunication.medium.com/esports-matter-c89c910c7c85

Comm Program Prof Precious Yamaguchi Helps SOU Link Technology, Culture and Student Learning in a Booming Market for Competitive Videogaming

Precious Yamaguchi stands in front of Southern Oregon University’s Student Recreation Center, the homebase for esports on campus

few years ago, the economic value of watching other people play videogames might have seemed like a losing proposition. But the global esports market exceeded $1 billion in 2019, and by some accounts is expected to grow at an average rate of 24 percent for the rest of the decade. Southern Oregon University has responded to the esports boom by adding a new minor in esports management, creating a center for esports training and competition in the Student Recreation Center, and launching an intercollegiate team in esports, expected to make its competitive debut in Spring 2021. Comm Program Associate Professor Precious Yamaguchi has played a key role in designing the interdisciplinary minor, and her courses on the culture of videogaming will be an important element of SOU’s esports curriculum. Dr. Yamaguchi took the time to talk to us about esports, what they mean to her and what the minor can do for students.

What are esports and what have they done for gaming culture? Competitive gaming, especially for videogames and online games, has been around for quite a while. I’d say almost at least 20 years. An esports event is kind of like attending a basketball or a soccer game. Esports are similar to a lot of other types of professional leagues where there are drafts, international teams and fans that follow the games. It brings this international community together. Streaming services like Twitch and messaging platforms like Discord make it possible for many people to come together and observe different types of gamers and competitive games. I think that we have this type of culture where we like to watch things that we might not necessarily be doing ourselves. You have these very famous teams that have their own type of drama and excitement, and it goes beyond just watching people in the actual competition. You watch these different teams develop or the type of drama that occurs like

players getting dropped from a team, it’s kind of like football. People have their favorite players and they know when someone got married or their father passed away. Then, with online streaming, we’re able to watch people in different countries and engage with each other. My son is only four years old, but he has his favorite Minecraft players, and he thinks their commentary is funny. The players are teenagers, and I have to remind him that he’s not a teenager, yet. Would it be correct to say that esports has helped the online gaming community become more inclusive? Yes, it’s a lot more inclusive globally, and it’s super exciting. Think about basketball. Not all of us can be NBA players, but it doesn’t stop us from wanting that connection of being in the game. Few of us are professional athletes, but we are connected to those professional athletes, which are now computer online gaming athletes. What brought you into the esports world? Continued on page 46

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Southern Oregon Business Journal March 2021 | 45

SOU Education : Continued from page 44

When I was growing up, my grandfather owned a small company that rented out different types of entertainment, things like pool tables, pinball machines and arcade games. So, at my grandparents’ house, he would have all of these different types of games there. From a very, very young age, my brother and I were able to play for free, and I became very interested in video games. I became interested in esports through the game Dota 2. Seattle hosts one of our nation’s largest esports competitions, which is called the TI, which is the international Dota 2 competition, and four or ve years ago, I became really interested in attending these events. I was able to see the international impact that different teams of not only Dota 2, but World of Warcraft and League of Legends have on this growing eld. It is a mix between business, communication, graphic arts and computer science. At SOU, I taught a course called Video Games and Cultures and I was also the faculty advisor for the video games coalition. In 2018, President Schott sent me to a conference in Atlanta called NACE Sports, which focuses on competitive esports in colleges. I was surprised at how many universities that were there trying to get information about how they could start an esports program. I listened to some of the coaches that had already started successful teams in the Midwest, Canada and California, and how they created community-based competitive games across the country, and I brought all of that information back to our campus.

What do students learn besides the team building in esports?

Southern Oregon Business Journa 5350 HWY 66, Ashland, OR. 97520 www.southernoregonbusiness.com

The esports minor brings in areas like business, communication, emerging media and digital arts, and computer science. Students aren’t just playing in the dark all day, but learn about the video game culture and media literacy. How do teams differ from country to country? I’m interested in looking at teams like the ones I saw when I used to live in China and worked at a university. One of my students moved into a gaming house. In China, there are a lot of gaming houses where the teams live together. They eat, breathe, live, and play as a team 24 hours a day. At SOU, we are not doing that, we encourage players to have a balanced college life. A lot of universities who have esports teams work out together, not like a football workout, but their own type of workout for their hands, back and shoulders. This creates a type of routine that tries to break the stereotype that gamers just stay up all night, sleep all day and eat junk food. I was really inspired by how different universities have paid coaches to run their esports teams as an actual competitive team, and I think that’s what we’re trying to build for SOU students. Are there any ethical challenges in esports? There can be a lot of drama on Twitter. I focus more on that because I’m from communication. There is also the challenge of gender and nationality. I think with a lot of entertainment or athletics, even as a female fan, you’re challenged by male fans for the idea that you’re not technically skilled enough or that you’re not as knowledgeable. We have a lot of those same challenges in esports, but there is a lot of respect for different genders and having co-ed teams. I don’t know the exact numbers, but I would say that esports teams are predominantly male.

However, esports can be situated more like campus recreation rather than competitive teams of male and female, which is great because everyone is invited and you don’t have the restrictions of gendered teams. I think the minor is giving us this type of context and information in preparation for being able to facilitate online competitions and teams in the eld of esports and to really do it intentionally with inclusion and diversity. What doors open for students with an esports minor? A lot of doors! Students could go into the more development and animation side.There are also the people that do the research for the storylines of games. For big events, there are management and business planning positions, as well as different types of fundraising campaigns and advertising. Esports offers a lot of crowdfunding opportunities and engagement with different communities. And there’s also the swag that people like to buy. Coming from the communication side, I can really see that social media, broadcasting and television are being developed. ESPN has their own online game channel. Just like commentary and the announcers are a huge part of a baseball game, it’s the same thing with online gaming. They have commentators and different personalities that are linked to the online games.

Interview by Autumn Micketti (@mountainmusicwoman), Community Manager for the Communication Program at Southern Oregon University.